The second semi-final of the 12th edition of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup will be played between England and South Africa on March 31 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Going into the semi-final, England have won four out of their seven matches in the league stage, while South Africa have won five out of their seven matches, including one abandoned game.
Match preview
Head to Head
England and South Africa have played 39 ODIs against each other, out of which England have won 29, South Africa have won nine and one match did not produce a result.
In World Cups, England and South Africa have played seven matches against each other, out of which England have won five and South Africa have won two.
Squads
England: Heather Knight (captain), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Freya Davies, Charlotte Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Natasha Farrant, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Natalie Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danielle Wyatt
South Africa: Sune Luus (c), Chloe Tryon (vc), Ayabonga Khaka, Lara Goodall, Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee, Marizanne Kapp, Masabata Maria Klaas, Mignon du Preez, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Tazmin Brits, Trisha Chetty, Tumi Sekhukhune.
Players to watch out for
Laura Wolvaardt:
This right-handed opening batter of South Africa is the leading run-getter in this World Cup. She has scored 433 runs in seven matches, including five half-centuries. She will be the key to South Africa’s batting going into the semi-final.
Shabnim Ismail:
The right-arm speedster of South Africa has 11 wickets in seven matches, which is the joint highest for South Africa, given that Ayabonga Khaka too has scalped 11 wickets. In her last outing, Ismail was the pick of the bowlers as she bagged 2-42 against India.
Natalie Sciver:
The star England all-rounder is the highest run-scorer for her team in this World Cup. She has mustered 273 runs in seven matches, including a century and a half-century. With the ball, she has picked up four wickets.
Sophie Ecclestone:
The left arm spinner of England is the leading wicket-taker in this World Cup with 14 wickets in seven matches. She has bowled well in the middle overs as well as at the death. Apart from her bowling, she is more than a handy lower order bat.
Pitch
This will be the fourth match of the 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup that will be played here. The teams batting first have won one while the teams batting second have won two matches at the venue. The average first innings score is 215 and the average second in 192. In the last match, close to 550 runs were scored. The wicket seems to be good for batting, while there could be some purchase for the bowlers provided they stick to the basics.
Weather
The weather is expected to be mostly cloudy. The average temperature will be around 19 degrees Celsius, with just one percent chance of precipitation and 90 percent cloud cover. The wind will blow from the east-northeast.
Fantasy playing XI
Amy Jones, Laura Wolvaardt, Sophia Dunkley, Danielle Wyatt, Lizelle Lee, Marizanne Kapp,Natalie Sciver, Sune Luus, Sophie Ecclestone, Shabnim Ismail, Charlotte Dean
Match Details
Date: March 31, 2022
Time: 6.30 am IST
Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Live streaming: Star Sports, Disney + Hotstar
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I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.